Many containers are provided with tamper-resistant devices to resist refilling of contents in the containers. For example, a beverage container can include a fitment that renders the container non-refillable, so as to impede efforts to refill the container with inferior products. U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,811 illustrates a container of this type.
A general object of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, is to provide a product including a container and a use indicator carried by the container that indicates whether the container has been used and, thus, will provide evidence of efforts to repackage the container with counterfeit product.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A product in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a container, a photochromic material carried by the container and responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light so as to darken upon exposure thereto, and a UV protector over the photochromic material to protect the photochromic material from exposure to UV light.
In accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method of producing a package that includes applying a photochromic material to a container that is responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light so as to darken upon exposure thereto, and protecting at least a portion of the photochromic material from exposure to UV light before initial opening of the package. The method also includes filling the container with an original flowable product, and applying a closure to the container.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a package that includes a container having an interior and a base, and a closure removably closing the container, characterized by means for indicating that the package has been opened from its original factory sealed condition by removing the closure from the container. The means includes a drop indicator operatively coupled to the container and constructed at least in part of photochromic material.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a product that includes a container, a photochromic material carried by the container and responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light so as to darken upon exposure thereto, and a UV light source carried by the container to illuminate the photochromic material.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a package that includes a container, a first photosensitive material carried by the container and responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light so as to darken upon exposure thereto to indicate package opening, and a second photosensitive material carried by the container, responsive to UV light to form a latent image, and darkenable upon exposure to heat to indicate package tampering.